COMMITMENT TO NATURE Ai＋(アイプラス)

Using only the blessings of nature to bring you “true quality”

In order to continue creating our true quality aizome products, materials must remain 100% natural. This is particularly true of the sukumo raw dye. When creating the indigo dye, we’re wholly committed to only using the house of Satō method which has since been passed down to the current 20th generation. This particular method of carefully developing the dye over a long period of more than a year using specifically selected ingredients truly and fully brings out the deepest beauty that is indigo.

Dedicated to keeping it 100% natural
From the start to the finished product

Quality can only be extracted from using natural ingredients and materials, though this is no simple feat. As a living entity, indigo has its own personality and to get the best out of it, one must “listen” to it throughout its development.
The creation of the raw dye known in the industry as “sukumo” is the foundation for aizome indigo dyeing and the method preserved and handed down from the house of Satō is vital. It begins with the 100-day fermentation of the leaves of the persicaria tinctoria (Dyer’s Knotweed) plant together with other specifically selected ingredients and requires the masterful skill and artistry of dye artisans to bring a deeply unique product.

Natural lye fermentation
Japan’s oldest method of fabric dyeing

As nature is a living entity, to appreciate and respect it for its blessings, dedicated time and care are needed to listen to and respond to it accordingly. Only then can we ensure its sustainability. This is the basis for the method of natural lye fermentation.
The sukumo raw dye gets fermented with an ash solution, bran gluten, lime, and sake, from which the dye can be layered many times over. Though nature depends on the seasons, this original method from Japan of creating a natural dye allows indigo dyeing to be carried out all year round.
The time and labour required are astonishing, but this means you’ll have in your hands a product that seems to live and breathe.

A painstaking creation

The whole process begins with ploughing the fields, cultivating the plant, and drying the harvested leaves in the sun. After which fermentation and dye production is carried out. To ensure that the dye fully penetrates each thread to its core, the dyeing and drying process is repeated more than 30 times. It is estimated that only 1% of aizome textiles currently in circulation are those that have been produced using this over-a-year-long process and technique.
Though chemical dyes are cost-effective and less labour-intensive, the beauty of clear and true indigo can only be achieved through natural dyes. As the years go by, we witness changes around us, but if well looked after, even after 100 years the colour of indigo will not fade. In a time where sustainability is crucial to society, this natural method of dyeing fits in well with our goals of respecting lives and nature.

Maintaining the best conditions for indigo

“Indigo lives and breathes”. Due to the fermentation process, the colour is drawn out due to oxidation. Even after the textile product is completed, the colour continues to change and become richer over the following 10 or even 20 years.
No two aizome pieces are the same. The result of each piece is dependent on many factors such as the natural dye itself produced in any given year, the day the piece was dyed, and how the finished piece is looked after. We take a lot of pride in our products in which our artisans have utilised their honed skills and senses to breathe life into their creations.

Pre-production process

The first crucial step is controlling the conditions for the process. Before placing the raw dye into the indigo earthenware pot, impurities are washed off and placed under running water for more than three hours.
Hand-washing

Whilst the fabric is washed for several hours under running water, the artisan must keep an attentive eye on it, checking the colouration quality throughout, which is also affected by the oxygen in the water, producing different gradations.
Post-production process

To maintain the best condition of the indigo dye, excess is drawn off and supplementary dye is created to make up for any drop in colour or dye strength. This is an important process that is carried out depending on the fabric to be dyed.

Hand-dyeing

Each piece is dyed by hand, one-by-one. The vast years of experience gained are essential to understanding the adjustments required for each dye and creation. The fabric is tightly wrung out to ensure the dye fully penetrates the fabric, strengthening the colouration.
Drying

After days of dyeing and drying, the colour is set into the fibres. As the indigo penetrates deeply into the fibres, its durability is strengthened. The artisan places his full commitment into this process which cannot be rushed.
Finishing up

The reason why indigo is said to be living and breathing is that after the fabric has been dyed, as time goes by, the texture of the fabric changes. The beauty and allure of aizome are evident, and for those who make lifelong use of it in their lives, it will bring with it a sense of added colour.